Pneumatic pump



H. S. ROGERS.

PNEUMATIIC PUMP. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1 4. 1918.

Patented May 4,".1 920.

ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER, s. noenns, or MiLwAUKEn-wisooNsiN, ASSIGNOR T0 JOHN R. BALL, or

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

PNEUMATIC PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1920.

Application filed June 14, 1918. Serial No. 240,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOMER S. Rooms, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Viscon"n, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PneumaticPumps, of which-the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates topneumatic pumps and the object of the inventionis to improve the construction of pneumatic pumps in the manner to be;hereinafter described and claimed.

The drawing which accompanies this specification and which forms a parthereof illustrates a vertical section of a pneumatic pump embodying inits construction this invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 1 designates a main pumpchamber, 2 a supplementary pump chamber, 3 a water delivery pipe, 4 and5 water inlet valves, 6 and 7 water outlet valves, and 8 a pipe forconducting compressedair to the pump chambers. The reference numeral 9designates an exhaust chamber which can be placed in communication withthe maln pump chamber 1 and the supplementary pump chamber 2 through theexhaust ports 10 and 11 whenever the exhaust valves 12 and 13- are openor off their seats. An exhaust pipe 1a may extend from the exhaustchamber 9 to a point abovethe surface of the water in which the pump maybe submerged. The exhaust ports 10 and 11 are made large enough so thatthe exhaust valves 12 and 13 will be maintained on their seats, whenseated, by the difference between the pressures on their opposite sides.The exhaust valve 12, the air valve ,15 and a float 16 are connected toa lever 17 which is pivoted in the main pump chamber 1. Vhen the mainpump chamber 1 is filling with water, the float 16 will rock the lever17 and raise theexhaust valve 12 toward its seat and open the air valve15. The rush of the compressed air in attempting to escape through theexhaust port 10 and the pressure of the compressed air on the lower sideof the exhaust valve 12 will seat or close the exhaust valve and it willbe kept seated or closed, until forced from its seat, by the differencebetween the pressures on opposite sides thereof. By properlyproportioning the size or area of the exhaust port 10, the exhaust valve12 will be kept seated even when the water level in the main pumpchamber 1 has fallen below the float 16. A pipe 18 extends down belowthe low water level in the main pump chamber 1 so that its lower end isalways water sealed and a valve 19 can prevent water passing up throughpipe 18 when a float '20 lifts the valve to prevent communicationbetween the pump chamber and the pipe. The pipe 18 communicates with afluid motor 21 which is illustrated as provided with a movable part ordiaphragm 22. 23 may be provided to permit the escape of air which mayseparate from the water and a plunger head 2% is pressed a ainst thediaphragm 212 by a spring 25. he sprmg '25 should not be strong enoughto resist the pressure against the diaphragm 22,

when the diaphragm is acted on by water under a pressure produced by thepressure of the compressed air in the mam pump chamber 1, but may bestrong enough to overcome the buoyancy of the float 20 and open valve 19to force water out of the fluid motor 21. The exhaust valve 12 is pro-'vided' with a stem 26 and a bell-crank lever 27 pivoted to the plungerhead 2 1 and to the pump case can press upon the stem 26 and force theexhaust valve 12 from its seat whenever the valve 19 is opened by thelowering of the water level in the main pump chamber 1. It will beunderstood, of course, that the area of the diaphragm 22 is greater thanthe area of the exhaust port 10 to enable the exhaust valve 12 to beforced from its seat.

.A second fluid motor 28 is provided with a movable part .or diaphragm29 and is in the main pump chamber 1 through a pas sageway 30 and a pipe31. The exhaust valve 13 and the air valve 32 for the supplementary pumpchamber 2 are connected with a pivoted lever 38 and can be movedpositively, in either direction by a plunger head 3i which can be movedin one direction by the diaphragm 29; A lever 35 is pivotally connectedwith the pump case and is also pivotally connected with the plunger head34 and with a rod 36 which lies in the path of movement of the plungerhead 245'. The diaphragm 29 is of less size or area than the diaphragm22 so that, al-

though the same pressure per square inch is exerted on both diaphragms,the total pressure against diaphragm 22 is greater and diaphragm 22 willbulge out and force diaphragm 29 back thereby forcing water out of thesecond fluid motor 28 back'into the main pump chamber 1.

The operation of the pump will be readily understood from an inspectionof the drawing. The parts are shown in the positions which they occupyafter the main pump chamber 1 has filled with water to the point wherethe float 16 has rocked the lever 17 and opened the air valve 15 and theexhaust valve 12 has been seated. The compressed air is entering themain pump chamber 1 and is forcing the water therein out through thewater delivery pipe 3. The water inlet valve 4 is closed and the wateroutlet valve 6 is open and water has been forced into the second fluidmotor 28 and has forced the diaphragm 29, plunger head 34, lever 35 androd 36 to the right and opened the exhaust valve 13 and closed the airvalve 32. The supplementary pump chamber 2 is filling with water, thewater inlet valve 5 being open and the water outlet valve 7 beingclosed.

As the water level falls or lowers in the main pump chamber 1, theexhaust valve 12 will be kept closed or maintained on its seat by thedifference between the pressures on opposite sides thereof and the float20 will fall with the water, when the water level reaches the line offlotation of the float, until the float is supported by the valve 19.The valve 19 is subjected to a greater pressure in the main pump chamber1 than the pressure in pipe 18 so that the Valve 19 will be kept closedby the difference between the pressures on opposite sides thereof untilthe water level in the main pump chamber 1 has been lowered enough belowthe line of flotation of the float 20 so that the weight of the floatwill open the valve. As soon as the valve 19 has been moved from itsseat the pressures on opposite sides thereof will be equalized and theweight of the float 20 will pop it open suddenly. Water will be forcedinto the fluid motor 21 and will bulge the diaphragm 22 out and forcethe plunger head 24 to the left. The plunger head 21 will rock thebellcrank lever 27 and force the exhaust valve 12 from its seat. As soonas the exhaust valve 12 is forced from its seat the pressures on theopposite sides thereof will be equalized and the valve will fall andclose the air valve 15. The compressed air will exhaust from the mainpump chamber 1, the water outlet valve 6 will close and the water inletvalve 41 will open and the pump chamber 1 will fill with water. Thespring 25 will return the plunger head 24 to the position shown by thedrawing, the water exhausting from the fluid motor 21 into the main pumpchamber 1. When the plunger head 21 was forced to the left, it contactedwith the rod 36 and forced the rod 36 to the left thereby forcing waterout of the second fluid motor 28 into the main pump chamber 1 andclosing the exhaust valve 13 and opening the air valve 32. When thecompressed air was admitted to the supplementary pump chamber 2, thewater inlet valve 5 closed and the water outlet valve 7 opened and waterwas forced out through the water delivery pipe 3. When the plunger head24: is pushed to the right by the spring 25, the rod 36 does not move tothe right because there is not enough pressure against the diaphragm 29to force the exhaust valve 13 from its seat against the pressure of theair in the supplementary pump chamber 2, so water is being dischargedfrom the supplementary pump chamber 2 while the main pump chamber 1 isfilling with water. As the action of the valve mechanism in the pumpchamber 1 is solely dependent upon the water levels therein and as thedischarge of water from the supplementary chamber 2 is timed andinitiated by the operation of the mechanism for permitting the main pumpchamber 1 to fill with water, to prevent any possibility of compressedair escaping from the sup plementary pump chamber 2 through the waterdelivery pipe 3 and thereby wasting compressed air, a float valve 37 maybe confined by a cage 38 so as to close the outlet 39 from thesupplementary pump chamber 2 when the water level has been loweredsufliciently.

lVhen the water is entering and filling the main pump chamber 1 thewater inlet valve 1 is open and the water outlet valve 6 is closed. Asthe Water level rises, the float 20 is raised and closes the valve 19.As the water level rises farther, the float 16 is raised and swings thelever 17 to close the exhaust valve 12 and open the air valve 15. In theconstruction illustrated by the drawing, the air valve 15 acts as a stopto limit the movement of the exhaust valve 12 away from its seat and thetotal movement of the exhaust valve 12 is small so that, while the airvalve 15 is opened as the exhaust valve 12 is being closed, the exhaustvalve 12 is so close to its seat when the compressed air is admitted tothe main pump chamber 1 that the compressed air seats the exhaust valve12 by the difference between the pres-.

sures on opposite sides thereof. This seating of the exhaust valve 12 isalso aided by the compressed air attempting to rush by it and by thegreater surface of the air valve 15 which is exposed to the rush of thecompressed air when the air valve 15 is open.

It will be readily seen that the main pump chamber 1 is emptied andfilled as though the pump were a single chamber pump and that acontinuous flow of water is obtained by a supplementary pump chamber thevalve mechanism of which is timed to discharge water while the main pumpchamber is filling with water. The valve mechanism of the main pumpchamber 1 is independent of any condition existing in the supplementarypump chamber 2 and is dependent solely upon the water levels pumpchamber 1 so that the main pump chamber 1 is completely filled withwater at each operation regardless of the time required by the existingconditions to discharge the water from the main pump chamber 1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pneumatic pump, the combination with a main pump chamber of asupplementary pump chamber, each of said pump chambers being providedwith water inlet and outlet valves and air inlet and air exhaust valves,two fluid pressure motors differing in power and responsive to conditions existing in the main pump chamber to actuate the air inlet and airexhaust valves for both pump chambers, and means to control the saidfluid pressure motors to cause the actuation of the air inlet and airexhaust valves when the water in the main pump chamber reachespredetermined levels.

2. In a pneumatic pump, the combination with a main pump chamber of asupplementary pump chamber, each of said pump chambers being providedwith water inlet and outlet valves and air inlet and air exhaust valves,the main pump chamber being provided with an air exhaust port of such asize that the air exhaust valve will be held closed by the differencebetween the pres sures on opposite sides thereof while water is beingforced from the main pump chamber by air under pressure, a fluidpressure motor communicating with the main pump chamber to keep the airinlet valve closed and the air exhaust valve open for the sup plementarypump chamber while the air inlet valve for the main pump chamber isopen, a fluid pressure motor for opening the air exhaust valve of themain pump chamher and closing the air exhaust valve for thesupplementary pump chamber, and means responsive to a predetermined lowwater level in the main pump chamber for causing said last mentionedfluid pressure motor to open the air exhaust valve for the main pumpchamber and close the air exhaust valve for the supplementary pumpchamber.

3. In a pneumatic pump, the combination with a main pump chamber of asupplementary pump chamber, each of said pump chambers being providedwith water inlet in the main and outlet valves and air inlet and airexhaust valves, the main pump chamber being provided with an air exhaustport of such a size that the air exhaust valve will be held closed bythe difference between the pressures on opposite sides thereof when airunder pressure is contained in the main pump chamber, fluid pressuremotors adapted to open the air exhaust valves by the pressure of the airin the main pump chamber, and means to close the air exhaust valve forthe supplementary pump chamber when the air exhaust valve for the mainpump chamber is opened by its fluid pressure motor.

4. In a pneumatic pump, the combination with a main pump chamberprovided with water controlled valve mechanism for permitting it to fillwith water and to discharge water therefrom by compressed air inaccordance with predetermined variations of the water levels in saidpump chamber, of a supplementary pump chamber provided with water inletand outlet valves and compressed air inlet and outlet valves, the saidcompressed air valves being operated independently of variations ofwater level in the supplementary pump chamber by mechanism actuated bycompressed air in the main pump chamber.

5. In a pneumatic pump, the combination with a main pump chamber of asupplementary pump chamber, each of said pump chambers being providedwith water inlet and outlet valves and air inlet and air exhaust valves,the main pump chamber being provided with an air exhaust port of such asize that the air exhaust valve will be held closed by the dilierencebetween the pressures in the pump chamber and outside thereof, means toclose the air exhaust valve and open the air inlet valve as water fillsthe main pump chamber to a predetermined level, a fluid pressure motorfor opening said air exhaust valve, means for admitting fluid underpressure to said fluid pressure motor when the water in the main pumpchamber has been lowered to a predetermined level, a second fluidpressure motor in communication with the main pump chamber for openingthe air exhaust valve and closing the air inlet valve for thesupplementary pump chamber, and means for closing the air exhaust valveand opening the air inlet valve for the supplementary pump chamber whenthe air exhaust valve for the main pump chamber is opened by said firstmentioned fluid pressure motor.

In witness whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

HOMER S. ROGERS.

